Supporting Vocabulary Grades K-2

What does vocabulary instruction look like in your classroom? When? How often? How do you plan for it? When Isabel Beck did some research on this very question a few years ago, the conclusion they came to was that there was “not very much” instruction going on.

Why Teach Vocabulary? There is a strong correlation between word knowledge and reading comprehension There are profound differences in vocabulary knowledge among learners from different SES groups, and once established, remain By age 3, there is strong evidence of a gap in vocabulary knowledge for children of different SES groups First grade vocabulary predicted students’ reading achievement in their junior year of high school High-knowledge third graders had vocabularies about equal to the lowest-performing 12th graders - Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2013 THERE IS AN URGENCY!

How do we learn words? Most words are learned most effectively in context, either in natural conversation or naturally occurring written text As we grow up, we learn most of our new words through written texts, and direct instruction is important “A robust approach to vocabulary involves directly explaining the meanings of words along with thought- provoking, playful, and interactive follow-up.” - Beck, McKeown, and Kucan written texts, which can pose a problem for word learning because the context can be too vague or misleading And this is the approach we’ll be working on today. Because so much of vocabulary learning happens through naturally occurring text, most research around vocabulary was targeted at older students until recently (Common Core has shed light)…we’ll also be talking about practical ways to teach vocab to our young readers/writers today

What does it mean to know a word? Know it well, can explain it and use it Know something about it, can relate it to a situation Have seen or heard the word; have a sense of the word’s connotation (negative/positive) Do not know the word Knowing a word is not All or Nothing!

When choosing words, consider: How useful is the word? It is a word that readers will meet in other texts? Will they be able to use it when describing their own experiences? How does it relate to other words or ideas that learners know or have been working on?

The Three-Tiers Framework Low frequency words often limited to specific topics or domains Tier 2 Words that are of high utility for mature language users, more likely found in written language Tier 1 Basic, common words that appear in oral conversations around everyday experiences Classify these: Child, forlorn, exquisite, oboe, birthday, stethoscope, break, colonial, cherish, repeal

You try it! In your Read Aloud, identify the Tier Two words. - Which are most necessary for comprehension? -Which will need brief/elaborate attention? - Which will be most useful to your children?

introduce related words for use in conversations about the book If you find that your book doesn’t have opportunities to learn rich vocabulary… introduce related words for use in conversations about the book For example, if the story features a character who works hard, you might introduce the word diligent and support kids to use this new word in their turn-and-talks or stop- and-jots. TALK allows for multiple encounters with the word. It gets kids saying it!

How to Teach Vocabulary Use Read Aloud to provide context Choose just a few words Quickly define words in the midst of reading only if it is essential to comprehension in the moment Explicitly teach into the words’ meanings after reading Follow-up repeatedly to get learners using the words Read Aloud because younger kds don’t have as many of these words in their independent reading… Read first because it gives them a meaningful base, something to associate with… In the midst of text, the focus should be on understanding the book/part not on learning new vocabulary, after reading, focus shifts to vocab development

Introducing Words Make it child-friendly Capture the essence of the word and how it is typically used Explain in everyday language Use associations, often including words such as something that, someone who, or describes so that children can begin to get a sense of how to use the word Example covert: kept from sight, secret, hidden Kids might hone in on secret without stopping to realize that the word is an adjective not a noun

You try it! Decide on just a few (2-3) words from your Read Aloud that you will explicitly teach Create and jot child-friendly definitions for the words!

A Format for Vocabulary Learning What do you notice during and after my Read Aloud? Name what you saw with a partner. Write this out

A Format for Vocabulary Learning 1. Read the book. 2. Contextualize the word within the story 3. Have children say the word. 4. Provide a student-friendly definition of the word. 5. Present examples of the word in contexts different from the story context. 6. Engage in activities to help children interact with words. 7. Have children say the word. Write this out

Your turn! Plan your read aloud and direct vocabulary instruction

Follow-up to allow for multiple encounters with words Situations and Examples Find the missing word Word Association Finish the Sentence Yes/No Handout from Bringing Words to Life with explanations of activities. Teachers can read and choose activities for their chosen vocabulary words

Developing Vocabulary in the Classroom Teach individual words Provide rich and varied language experiences Foster word consciousness Teach word-learning strategies* * Next time

Creating Communities of Rich Language Electrical Engineer, Concierge, Conductor, Sanitation Officer, Representative, Liaison, Media Specialist, Nutritionist, etc.

Creating Communities of Rich Language Use sophisticated language when giving directions and engaging in discussions Use the ordinary and more sophisticated word (quiet reading time and independent reading time) Try it… 1. Say a few phrases you say to students often 2. Now lift the level of the language

Foster Word Consciousness CREDIT: Katie Koker, Chappaqua, NY

Shared Reading and Shared Writing

Frayer Model